Power-driven clutch-engaging mechanism



Jan. 2, 1951 R. A. ASHTON 1 2,536,588

POWER-DRIVEN CLUTCH-ENGAGING MECHANISM Filed March 24, 1948 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1951 POWER-DRIVEN CLUTGH-ENGAGING MEGHANISM' Richard A. Ashton, Seneca Falls, N. Y., assignor to Seneca Falls Maohine. Company, Seneca. 3 L115... N. 515., a corporation of Massachusetts Application 'March 24, 1948, Se rial No. 16,675

This invention relates to machine tools such as lathes or grinding machines which require frequent engagement and disengagement of a driving clutch. Such frequent clutch operation may become quite burdensome when performed manually at frequent intervals, and particularl so in large machines operating under heavy loads.

It is the general object of this invention to provide clutch-engaging mechanism in which the engagement is manually initiated but is completed under power. In this way the strength of the operator is conserved and undue fatigue is avoided.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of clutch-engaging mechanism embodying my invention and with certain parts shown in section; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation, taken along the line 2--2 in Fig. 1 and showing the relation of certain gears.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a drive shaft I mounted in bearings II and I2 and continuously rotated from any convenient source of power not shown.

A clutch gear I4 is freely rotatable on the shaft I 0 between collars l5 and I6 and has a clutch sleeve I 8 formed thereon. A clutch collar 28 is keyed to the driving shaft I0 but is slidable thereon to engage the clutch sleeve 18. The collar 20 is grooved at 2| to receive the end of a clutchshifting arm 22 which is mounted on a shift rod 23. i

The gear [4 engages a gear 25 (Fig. 2) mounted on and secured to a shaft 26 which constitutes the operating or main shaft of the machine.

The shift rod 23 is freel slidable axially in bearings 21 and 28 and a gear 30 is freely rotatable on the rod 23 between collars 3| and 32 and engages the clutch gear l4.

The gear 30 also engages a gear 40 mounted on and rotatable with a shaft 4| supported in bearings 42 and 43. A bevel gear 46 is mounted on the shaft 4| and engages a bevel pinion 41 on a worm shaft 48, which is rotatable in bearings 49 and 50. A worm 5| on the shaft 48 engages a worm gear 52 which is mounted on and secured to a cam shaft 54.

An arm 55 is secured to the cam shaft 54 and is provided with oppositely inclined cam faces 55. A bell crank 9 manned on a fixed pivot El 1 Claim. (01. 19%32.)

and is provided with a. cam roll 52 positioned for engagementv by one or the other of the cam faces 55 as the arm 55 is rotated. The bell crank 60. is connected by a link 6.5 toa block 66 slidable onthe rod 23 between a shoulder 67 on the rod and a brake arm 68 fixed to the rod 23.

A handle 1!] is provided on an arm 1! which is secured to a shaft E2 on which a gear 13 is mounted. The gear l3 engages a larger gear 14 on a shaft 15 which is provided with an arm 16 having a crankpin 11. The pin 11 is connected by a link 80 to the sliding block 66 previously described.

The brake arm 58 extends into a groove 8| in a brake collar 82 adapted to engage a brake sleeve 84 fixed in a suitable support 85.

Having described certain mechanism illustrating my invention somewhat diagrammatically, th operation thereof is as follows:

Assume that it is desired to engage the clutch 20 with the clutch sleeve IE to rotate the gears l4 and 25 and to thus revolve the operating shaft 26. The handle I0 is pressed lightly downward, thus partially rotating the gears 13 and I4 and moving the link 80 and block 66 to the right in Fig. 1. The block 65 engages the shoulder 61 on the rod 23 and acts through the shifting arms 22 and 68 to engage the clutch collar 20 and to disengage the brake collar 82.

Slight engagement of the clutch collar 2|] with the clutch sleeve l3 will start the clutch gear 14 in slow rotation, and this mo ion will be communicated through the gears 30 and 40, the bevel gear 46 and bevel pinion 41, the worm 5| and the worm wheel 52 to the cam shaft 54 which will thereupon start to rotate.

As soon as the cam roll (52 is engaged by one of the cam surfaces 56, the cam roll will be pushed outward and will act through the bell crank and link to force the block 66 further to the right and to thus firmly engage the driving clutch 25 with the clutch sleeve I8.

The operator is thus required to apply only the relatively slight force necessary for such preliminary engagement of the clutch 2!! as will cause the gear M to be slowly rotated. This slow rotation is sufficient to rotate the cam arm 55 through the described gear chain and to thus engage one of the cam faces 56 with the cam roll 62. Such engagement provides power to more fully engage the driving clutch 29.

The provision of two oppositely inclined cam faces 56 makes the power-operated clutch-engaging mechanism operative without regard to the direction of rotation of the cam shaft 54,

so that the engaging mechanism is equally operative with either direction of rotation of the driving shaft l0.

When it is desired to stop the rotation of the main shaft 36, the handle H1 is pulled upward, thus shifting the block 66 to the left to engage the hub of the shift arm 68. This causes the a clutch 20 to be disengaged and the brake collar 82 to be moved into engagement with the brake sleeve 84.

The provision of lost motion between the shoulder 61 and the hub of the shift arm 68 permits a light blow to be delivered when the block 66 is shifted in either direction. This light blow more easily loosens the engaged clutch collar 20 or brake collar 82.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

In a machine, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a clutch to connect said shafts, a shift rod for said clutch, manual means to give said shift rod an axial sliding movement to initially engage said 0 Number clutch and thereby start rotation of said driven shaft, a cam shaft, a worm and gear connection between said driven shaft and said cam shaft for simultaneous rotation of said shafts, a cam arm on said cam shaft, a lever engaged and moved by said cam arm at one point in the rotational travel of said arm, and an operative connection from said lever to said shipper rod, whereby engagement of said lever by said arm effects further axial movement of said shipper rod in the same direction and more firm driving engagement of said clutch.

RICHARD A. ASHTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Walter Oct. 27, 1885 Credlebaugh et al. July 12, 1904 Wilkin et a1 Feb. 10, 1920 Bouser Mar. 10, 1936 

